Dangerous Dems

The House has passed Cap and Trade, a bizarre program designed to drive up the cost of energy so that fringe, inefficient energy sources such as wind become viable alternatives. Nice way to end a recession, huh?

When the Heritage Foundation did its analysis of Waxman-Markey, it broadly compared the economy with and without the carbon tax. Under this more comprehensive scenario, it found Waxman-Markey would cost the economy $161 billion in 2020, which is $1,870 for a family of four. As the bill's restrictions kick in, that number rises to $6,800 for a family of four by 2035.

The degree to which Global Warming has been adopted by Democrats as the premise upon which policy should be built was demonstrated last week, when we had State Representative Barry Finegold on the WRKO morning show to talk about energy issues. (Listen to the interview here.)We made the mistake of thinking, since he chairs the Joint Committee on Telecommunications, and Utilities and Energy, that Finegold might actually know something about energy issues - in addition to being a thoughtful proponent of Global Warming theories. Our bad.Example - Barry is pushing Cape Wind, a long debated wind farm proposed off the coast of Cape Cod. When I asked him what percentage of the Cape's electricity needs would be met by the installation, he said 100%. This surprised me, as I recalled it as being less than that. I was right - Cape Wind's own website says:

Average expected production will be 170 megawatts which is almost 75% of the 230 megawatt average electricity demand for Cape Cod and the Islands of Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket.

Why should reducing CO2 be our priority, we asked, looking for justification for turning all policy ideas over to the premise of Global Warming?

"If you're wrong, we have big problems. If I'm wrong, we're okay."

Huh? I guess he'd be another liberal Democrat for an expanded Star Wars program then, right?When asked whether batteries for things like hybrid vehicles were more damaging to the environment than the benefit provided, Barry lacked an answer.

"I think with that technology we'll catch up and there'll be reuse for those batteries."

Huh?Why not drill for oil domestically, a caller inquired?

"That's something that's still out there as a possibility, (but to) quote some of my colleagues, I don't think we can drill ourselves out of this problem..."

He pushed LED light bulbs as an exciting opportunity that's out there, without mentioning that LED bulbs at present cost about $100 a pop and give off a sickly level of light.

He's excited by Smart Meters, pushed by the local electric company, as devices that could be used to shut off lights from work if you accidentally left one on. But I asked him how such a thing could be cost effective, as it would take thousands of dollars to rewire a home to allow the control of individual devices, and he said he wasn't sure how they worked.

I learned a little online, none of which suggested that Smart Meters are designed to do what Barry imagines. The meters would be linked to the internet, allowing homeowners, and electric companies, to monitor energy consumption.

Each customer will receive a smart meter and have the option to install smart thermostats and other energy-monitoring devices, the utility said. It also hopes to offer pricing plans that give customers the ability to save money by cutting down on power consumption during peak load times.

Beyond controlling thermostats, I've found no reference to Smart Meters being intended for turning lights on and off. As drastic measures such as Cap and Trade are pushed forward in 1000+ page legislation that was approved before it was read, the Finegold interview provides an insight - The Warming agenda is now being pushed by unsophisticated bellhops like Barry, who carry the luggage of the movement for political reasons, but who have little idea what is inside those heavy bags they want us to assume responsibility for.